Barbados Music Awards Commentary has stepped on some sensitive toes to the point of slander? Oh Dear!

by AirBourne / February 10th, 2007

Well-Well-well!!!

It seems my observations about the B’dos Music Awards have come home to roost, my questions over what judging practices and accounting measures were used or not has brought a supposedly stinging commentary from an outraged Bajan transplant but when you read the remark, I think we all know where it really came from…

BTW: As Editor, I will be interrupting his/her diatribe to clarify whatever points the writer believed was salient…

“I can see that very little has changed since I left Barbados to live in the US some years ago. Many Bajans are still like crabs in a bucket, and everyone has an opinion, but very few actually get up and do what is necessary.I was encouraged by a friend to fly all the way back to Barbados just to see the Barbados Music Awards, and all I can say is I was definitely not disappointed.

Little things have been effectively proven to amuse small minds!

I was amazed at the quality of the show, and the fact that, unlike similar events in the States, there was no stopping and starting, it ran like a concert. Therefore I can understand if there is one mix-up in envelopes or something, because they just ran the show straight. I think it’s commendable that they only had that one hiccup!How many times has such a mix up occurred at the Emmys, Grammies, Oscars, Baftas, Webbys – the last two awards being fairly recent inventions? All of those shows announce their criteria of tabulation and judging – that way any dispute over decisions even if unpopular , cannot be held to ransom nor ridicule…

As for Rupee, or any other nominees who did not attend the event, shame on them! I understand that they may feel insulted or overlooked due to allegedly not being invited, according to the people here, but the young people behind this event must have been swamped, and the least they could (the nominees) could have done, was to pick up the phone, call the organizers, and double-check on their invites.

H’mmm, that’s what I did when I covered the debut show for the Barbados Advocate, called and got a comp then reported what ppl asked and WHOOPS, here I am – I see, if I am invited then keep mum about any problems! Hah, here in my own arena, I can feel free to question anything, regardless of whoever sponsor may or may not be offended… As for organisers being young or old, it is still a show, and that must go on as the old proverb states, as for being swamped? I am sure you should know, huh?

Has Rupee‘s head swollen to the point where he, or his representatives can’t pick up a phone and ask a question? To wait until after the event, to try to pull down something which is the only real event set up to honour the entertainers in Barabdos{their goof not mine, quite a hissy fit, eh?}, is SHAMEFUL! Especially since in two years he has won so many of them.If he has won so many then why – in his own homeland – does he have to go scavenging like some mendicant? Wait, there’s more! Now for the good stuff…

As to you, Mr. Bourne… why do you have so much to say now? Did you offer to assist the event’s organizers prior to the event? Did you communicate with them to let them know how you feel about what they are doing instead of going into a public forum and pulling it down? Everyone has an opinion…I remember coming home for Crop Over a few years ago and seeing you on the news, and I was like…”why the hell is this guy on my TV?” Barbados is the land of opportunity, and you know as well as I do that someone of your physical stature or lack thereof, and appalling, sloppy posture and lack of natural fluency in speaking, can only be a news anchor in this 166 square miles, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that view,since you were fired from that job, maybe for that very same reason…I don’t know!

To reiterate: I called Morris to cover the inaugural for The B’dos Advocate, I called him on his cell about judging procedures and left voice mails and also sent e-mails to which he never replied, so I went ahead with the concerns expressed by the public and then I am minus my column?

But when I started presenting news at CBC {it was Starcom who gave me the boot in 1994 – get your facts right} the viewership was 161,000 – then after six months of my consistently presenting? It grew to 179,000 and by the time I resigned in November2005 I left the viewership at about 187,000 – ask Basil Springer at Systems.

Your attack is intriguing, you and perhaps two others hold a similar view, that opinion is held towards me because in all cases, I actually dared to question the status quo!

We need, as black people, and as Barabdians, try to be uplifting towards each other. What those guys are doing is amazing, and this is only the second year. Can you imagine when they work out the kinks what that show will be like in ten years?

Bajpryde”BARABDOS & BARABDIANS, who are they? And of course! Bring in the race card when all else fails – I am as “white” as vanilla ice cream or cafe-au-lait… But yes, I did say this is a good concept, but there are still holes that need plugging, I did say that in my original item, that the BMA is a show more than needed ever since, but I must ignore the flaws? Please!

You took a long time to write such a supposedly stinging riposte, but you did not do what I did – RESEARCH, check all of the links on the awards sites names in this item and see what articles I site, there is evidence to support most of my contentions, oh so anonymous objector… How ironic one cannot log on to BMA for now, I hope Ronnie Morris is busy adding all judging and accounting requirements?

One Response

The way how i see it…there’s nothing wrong with questioning the judging practices and accounting measures used. How else are things going to keep improving? How else are we going to set standards by which to evaluate and maintain standards. And what is so bizarre and i guess ironic is that this person who is from overseas is talking about bajans acting like “crabs in a bucket” when he is the one who has a very closed minded attitude. He is asking you not to question the system being used? He is asking you to ignore those very important details that set quality?

He is of the opinion that he is defending the youth and he really isn’t. I didn’t get to go but I know someone who went and she is my age and she said it was long and boring. I believe it was long because they wanted to get as much artist to perform in hopes that someone will grab them up…kinda like Rihanna. Fair enough. Although when i watched it on CBC it seemed like they were begging lol…but i won’t get into that.

However, the person did notice the mix up in envelopes which was very embarrassing. And it was agreed that they was room for improvement so my point is if there’s room for improvement why stop it by having a close minded attitude.